The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-09-23
DYNAAEITING A SCHOONER
LIEUT.. zALiNSKI SMASHES UP a
HULK WITH HIS LONG POPGUN.

HULK WITH HIS LONG POPGUN.
Secretary Whitney and Other Distin'
guished Men Afoat and Looking Or
Two Shots Knock the Old Schooner
to Flinders,
Tscm the Nep York Sun.
Lieut. Zalinsld proved yesterday that il
Is possible to throw dynamite a mile, from
an air gun, and blow to pieces a hostile ship.
Secretary Whitney Gen. Schofield, and
other naval and martial men saw it done.
For over a year there have been long tubes
on stands at the southern end OF Fort
LAFAYETTE with their noses pointed down
the bay. They looked like old telescopes
abandoned to rust in the rain. Occasionally
they have been tried at mark to test the
range and aim and the certainty of explo-
sion of the projectile Inside the fort is an
air compressor to furnish driving power for
the magnitied popguns.
Years ago young man out West thought
out scheme of using dynamite instead of
gunpowder to charge shells. 1t would not
do to shoot dynamite shells from an ordi-
nary cannon, because the jar of the concus-
sion would explode the shell in the gun
air instead of powder, and of sending the
missile by series of impulses instead of one
impulse. He set to work toput his idea into
shape and as soon as it had some form he
patented it. A company was formed to
take charge of the idea and to perfect the in
vention. 1t was found that the idea was a
good one. but that it needed to be improved.
The thing was explained to the government,
ara they gave up Fort Lafayette to the
work, ard Lieut.. IalinSki took charge of
the experiments.
He and others perfected the contr.vance
so that the dynamite would do no damage
until the shell hit something He inverted
fuses adapted to a dynamite she'll O"e
was the ordinary percussion fuse, and the
other was contrivunce by which the dyna-
mite could be set off by contact with water.
In the cap of each shell prepared in this
way We're put the materials for minia
ture electric battery without the fluid.
Wetting this fuse MAKES an active battery
of it, and the current developed heats pla-
tinum wire. That explodes the primer of
the dynamite shell. Other inventions were
made for safety and accuracy, and the
dynamite gun was ready to be fired
The government CONT ibuted all old worn
out schooner, the Siliman, for yesterdays
experiment Lieut.. Zalinski practised with
the gun until he could hit any spot in the
bay within range, and he anchored buoys
the schooner Yesterday the Silliman was
ready in the spot marked out by the buoys.
and q feet of vessels with native and for
eign great men on board, went down the bay
to see the trial OF the gun, and find out
whether it gas possible to use dynamite in
warfare to blow up invading fleets. The
little United States steamer Dispatch
carried Secretary Whitney and the
Naval Comm ttee of the House
of Representatives, The Governors
Island boat had on it Gen Schofield, Gen.
Curtis, and the staff officers of the island
The Hazel Kirke carried President S. ID.
Schuyler of the Pneumatic Dynamite Gun
Company, ex-Collector E. A. Merritt, and
others of the directors of the company,
Senator Hiscock, Gen. Fitzgerald, Gen
King, Marshal Mcmahon, Col. Miles, Nat
Mckay, and Uhe Danish German, Spanish,
French, and Japanese naval officers, who
were to with rs the experiment Besides
the official craft til ., were steam yachts
and a few sloop yachts, whose owners
wanted to see the fun. Then there were q
number of steam launches that were to go
to the victim ar he end of each round and
see W hat damage had been done.
The schooner that was to be practised on
was anchored in Gravesend Bay The tide
was flowing out, and only its stem was pre-
scented to thu gun. This made marrow tar
get about 25 feet wide The two masts were
that could not safely be removed. The hull
was pretty low down in the water, and as
compared WI fleet of war ships the
doomed olo ;,nooner was like the bull's-eye
of a target.
At o'clock time was called and white
flag was waved from the fort as a signal for
every one to get out of the way. The fotil-
La, filed with spectators, moved to one side
and waited. There was a kissing noise, an
explosion like the sound of escaping air
from gigantic popgun, and rocket We S
was seen Kissing through the air. il
pumped into the water about ten yart
astern, on the starboard quarter of the
schooner and sunk without an explosion.
1t was not dynamite SHE'LL but only
blank, sent to get the range and try the
wind. In few minutes came another blank
shot that fell few yards nearer than the
first. There wa a wait of few minutes
between each shot to get the air reservoir
filled again to its original pressure The
pressure of these trial shots was 600 pounds
to the square inch, which, through the 20.
foot S-inch tube of the gun was sufficient to
send the missiles mile.
The pressure was increased to 607 pounds,
and a real shell was put in. These shells are
shaped like huge rockets. There is the cap,
with both an impact fuse and battery
fuse Behind the cap are % pounds of nitro
gelatine i'll a brass shell, and attached to that
Is g DraSS Tail UllflJ makes bne WnOle rocket
five or six feet long.
TI.s.e was a louder hiss when the first
loaded shell came, and little white cloud
of escaping air. The rocket Kissed along for
ten or twelve seconds and then pumped
into the water few yards off the starboard
quarter of the schooner. AS soon as it
struck there was an explosion, and columns
of water and spray went 100 feet into the
air, as if giant whale had just blown
The schooner rocked in the water, and the
mainmast tumbled over, breaking the top
of the foremost, and carrying the buwarks
ard cordage with it. The launches ran cut
10 see what damage had been done, and
found that the schooner was leaking, and
that the woodwork OF her quarter had been
smashed The shell had not struck the boat,
but the force of the conclusion was enough
TO wreck it.
The air reservoir was charged again, and
in few minutes the second loaded shell
came kissing along high enough in the air
TO clear the topmast of any boat that might
have been in the way. IL pumped right
under the stern of the schooner and explod.
ed. The old boat rose in the air with the
mass of water, and came down a total
wreck. IL was broken to pieces, and the
wreckage began to float away. The water
tank had been blown up from the hold, and
was ON top of the deck. The forecastle was